The Washington Capitals came out of their long break just the same way they entered it, losing. The Capitals dropped Tuesday night’s cross-border conflict with the Montreal Canadiens 5-2 as their losing streak has now hit five games.
That razor-thin margin for error keeps getting thinner.
- The five-on-five stats from the game flatter the Capitals because they spotted Montreal a 3-0 lead in the first period before deciding to actually play and that was enough to decide the winner. The same issues that have plagued the team the entire season were back again as despite creating 17 total high-danger chances, they ended up with just two goals. If a bullet like this feels like listening to a broken record, imagine how it feels to be the guy who has to keep writing the lyrics on the broken record.
- Let’s get one of the sole positives out of the way first. Alex Ovechkin scored a goal and now has 10 total on the season. He is now just 62 goals shy of reaching Wayne Gretzky’s career total. I still think he can do it. Let’s hope for a big second half from The Great Eight.
- Charlie Lindgren got pulled a little over 13 minutes into the first period after allowing three goals on nine shots. Lindgren looked like a mere mortal in January after posting stunning numbers in the months prior and that rougher form may have carried over into February. He is winless in his last four starts and has given up 17 goals.
John Carlson recorded his team-leading 26th assist of the season on Sandin's goal. Carlson has recorded 13 of his 29 points this season in the final 10 minutes of regulation and overtime, which leads the Capitals
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) February 7, 2024
- With the Capitals’ loss and the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers, the Caps are now seven points out of both third in the Metropolitan Division and the final wild card spot. They have a few games in hand on a lot of teams in front of them but those teams are pulling away fast.
- Mike Sgarbossa played 9:49 of ice time in his season debut. Hershey’s leading scorer fired one shot on goal.
- Last season, the Capitals had a five-game losing streak around this exact time of the year. Before their next game on the schedule then, which would become a sixth-straight loss, general manager Brian MacLellan traded Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins.
Numbers thanks to Hockey-reference.com and NaturalStatTrick.com.
